Method of bending and setting elongated articles



y 1963 c. M. RlVELY ETAL 3,099,296

METHOD OF BENDING AND SETTING ELONGATED ARTICLES Griginal Filed Aug. 11. 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l :2 F|G.2. F|G.l.

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METHOD OF BENDING AND SETTING ELONGATED ARTICLES Original Filed Aug. 11. 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.4.

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METHOD OF BENDING AND SETTING ELONGATED ARTICLES Original Filed Aug. 11. 195B 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS ("Z/WE M. P/l/ELYand Ema/9R0 GOES/V BY 2 g i 8, fiUUE/VEV.

a4a2 74 so 46 an 44 United states atent Uhice 3,0993% METHOD OF BENDING AND SETTING ELUNGATED ARTICLES Clair M. Rively, Rockaway, and Edward Gorski, Bloomfield, N .J., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pin, a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application Aug. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 754,490. Di-

vided and this application June 17, SW59, Ser. No. 825,628

2 Claims. (Cl. Mil-71.6)

The present invention relates to the bending of elongated articles and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for bending and setting the lead wires of incandescent lamps.

Heretofore, filament mounts for vertical-filament type incandescent lamps have been fabricated on a conventional mount-making machine of the type shown in US. Patent No. 1,907,532, issued May 9, 1953, to J. Flaws, Ir. At one of the work stations of such machine, a right angle bend is formed in each of the lead wires (preparatory for the mounting of the vertically disposed filament) by bending apparatus of the type shown in German Patent No. 844,588. Forming tools of this type tend in some instances to shear, rather than to bend, the lead wires into the desired right-angle configuration. In addition, a separate forming tool must be utilized for each size of the lead wire to be bent. Owing to the spring-back of the lead wire after the bending operation (which spring-back varies with the temper of the individual lead wires) lead wires bent in the same die are not necessarily identical in shape after bending. Hence, it is necessary to employ a setting tool at the next work station to set the right-angle bend. This setting operation is accomplished by a first pair of jaws which grip the portion of the lead wires at and below the bend and a second pair of jaws which grip the bent end of the lead wires and which stretch such bent end against the side of the first pair of jaws (serving as an anvil) thereby setting the metal at the bend. Due to the amount of pressure which must be exerted by the second set of jaws on the lead Wires to effect the leadwire setting operation, the bent end of such lead wires is often deformed by the force exerted by the second set of jaws thereon and in some instances the wire is weakened at the bend by such excessive force. In addition, this method of bending the lead wires requires the use of an extra work station and the added setting tool.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difiiculties of and objections to prior art practices by the provision of an improved method and apparatus for bending and setting elongated articles.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for bending the lead wires of incandescent lamp mounts to a desired configuration, which apparatus is adapted to bend a wide range of lead-wire sizes and which will not shear the lead wires at the bend.

A further object is the provision of apparatus at one work station of an automatic filament mount-making machine which apparatus is adapted to perform both the bending and the setting operations on the lead wires of incandescent lamps.

The aforesaid objects of the invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds are achieved by providing a bending and setting device located at a station of the stem-making machine, which device has a stationary member from which the elongated article protrudes and a movable member operable to apply a bending force to the portion of the elongated article to be bent at a point relatively distant from the point of protrusion of such portion to initially provide a relatively large bending radius (thereby preventing the shearing of the elongated article). The movable member is further operable to move along the portion of the lead wire to be bent to incrementally decrease the distance between the point of protrusion and the point of application of the bending force and to bend such portion against the stationary member, thereby substantially forming the desired bend until such distance approaches the thickness of the elongated article, whereupon the movable member squeezes the bend in such elongated article against the stationary member thereby completing the bend and upsetting the metal at the bend and giving the latter a permanent set.

For a better understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front-elevational view of a lead-wire bending and setting station of an automatic mount-making machine and showing the position of the lead-Wire bending and setting devices of the present invention, a portion of the turret of such machine and a head supported by said turret for carrying a stem therein, after such head has been indexed into the bending and setting station.

FIG. 2 is a vertical-sectional view along the line 11-11 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows and showing the details of the left-hand lead-wire bending and setting device, as viewed in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view along the line III-III of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows with the lead wires shown in section.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 after the bending and setting device has been moved to position the locating slots therein about the lead wire of the stem preparatory for the bending and setting operation.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bending and setting devices of the present invention having portions of the lead-wire guides and lead-wire strippers removed for the sake of clarity and showing the position of such devices after the latter have been positioned about the lead wires preparatory to the bending and setting operation.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of one of the bending and setting dies.

FIG. 7 is a view of FIG. 6 of an alternative embodiment of one of the bending and setting dies.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged vertical-sectional view along the lines VIIIVIII of FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows and showing the details of the bending and setting device.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 illustrating an intermediate position of the gripping jaw and bending and setting die, wherein the gripping jaw has engaged the lead wire positioned in the vertical locating slot within the stationary portion of the bending and setting device.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary vertical-sectional view showing the position of the parts after the bending and setting die has engaged the lead wire at a point relatively distant from the point of protrusion of the lead Wire from the stationary portion of the device.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10* and showing the position of the pants after the bending and setting die has incrementally decreased the distance between the point of protrusion and the point of application of the bending force so that the portion of [the lead wire to be bent has been substantially formed into the desired bend and such distance has approached the diameter of the lead wire.

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIGS. 10 and 1-1 and showing the further continued movement of the bending and setting die to squeeze the bend against the stationary portion of the bending and setting device to complete the bend and upset the metal at the bend thereby giving such bend a permanent set.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical-sectional view along the line XIII-XIII of FIG. 12 and showing diagrammatically the application of the setting forces to the bend and illustrating with the horizontal dotted arrows the direction of the resultant deformation of the bend between the stationary portion and the bending and setting die.

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13 showing the radial application of the squeezing forces and the direction of the deformation when the bending and setting die shown in FIG. 7 is utilized.

FIG. 15 is a side-elevational view of a finished lamp mount fabricated on the automatic mount-making machine with which the bending and setting devices of the present invention are associated.

Although the principles of the invention are broadly applicable to the bending of elongated articles, such as wire and strip, and the setting of such bends, the invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the bending of the lead wires of incandescentlamp stems preparatory for the mounting of a verticallydisposed filament thereon and hence it has been so illustr-ated and will be so described.

With specific reference to the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings and referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a turret of a conventional mount-making machine (not shown, but of the type shown in the abovementioned US. Patent No. 1,907,532) is indicated genenally by the reference numeral 19 This turret is adapted to support a plurality of conventional stemsu-pporting heads 12 which are indexable there-by through a like number of work stations (not shown) by a conventional indexing mechanism (not shown, but of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,569,852, issued October 2, 1951, to J. H. Green).

After a stem 14 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 15) has been transferred from an adjacent stem-making machine (not shown) to a head v12 at a first station (not shown) of the mount-making machine, electrical lead-in and filament support wires 16 of the stem 14 are pushed back at a second station (not shown) to permit the heating of the end of the arbor 1-8 at three later stations (not shown) preparatory to the formation of a button 20 on the end of the arbor 1'8 and the insertion of the support wires 22 therein at the next station (not shown). At subsequent stations (not shown) the lead wires 16 are repositioned and the ends thereof are trimmed and flattened. Hooks 24 are formed in the tnimmed ends of the lead wires 16 at another station (not shown) whereupon the stem 14 is indexed into the lead-wire bending and setting station (FIGS. 1 and 2) where a right-angle bend is formed at the end of each lead wire 16 by a pair of bending and setting devices of the present invention located at such station, in prepanation for the subsequent mounting of a vertically disposed filament 26 (FIG. 15) in the hooks 24 of the bent and set lead wires 16.

The means utilized to provide a supporting structure for the bending and setting devices of the present invention comprises a mounting bracket 28 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and secured to frame portions 30 (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the mount-making machine (not shown). This mounting bnacket 28 has a pair of guide blocks 34 afiixed to its upper surface, "as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3, in which a carriage 32 of the bending and setting devices is slidably mounted, thereby permitting the carriage 32 and a die block 36 adjustably secured to each side of such carriage 32 to be moved toward and away from the lead wires 16 of a stem 14, while the latter are positioned at the lead-wire bending and setting station.

As a head 12 and a stem 14 are indexed into the leadwire bending and setting sation, the lead wires 16 ride along a stationary guide track 38 (FIG. 3) mounted on supports 40 projecting from columns 42 upstanding from the guide blocks 34 and such lead wires are approximately positioned thereby in registry with vertical locating slots 44 (FIGS. 1 and 1042), one side of which is formed in the forward face of each of the adjacent die blocks 36 (FIGS. 3 and 5). The other side of the vertical locating slots 44 is formed by an anvil 45 removably mounted on the die block 36 to provide a stationary forming means for the bending and setting operation. Although the anvil 45 may be an integral part of the die block 36, for purposes of replacement it is advisable to make it a separate and removable part as shown in FIG. 3. The forward movement of the carriage 32 and die blocks 36 fnom the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 5, positions these locating slots 44 about the lead wires 16, thereby aligning the latter in such die blocks 36 preparatory for the bending and setting operation. To prevent the lead wires 16 from being wedged in the locating slots 44 after the bending and setting operation and to permit removal of the bent lead wires 16 from these locating slots 44, stationary strippers 46 are mounted on the columns 42 and have their operating ends positioned behind the stationary guide 3 8 in registry with the locating slots 44.

Since the locating slots 44 are reciprocated about the strippers 46 and the lead wires 16 of successive stems 14 during each index of the mount-making machine (not shown), excessive wear in these locating slots 44 is prevented by adjustably mounting removable guide plates 48 on the top of the die blocks 36, which guide plates 48 are provided with guide slots 50 aligned with the locating slots 44 in the die block 36. These guide slots 50 position the strippers 46 and the lead wires 16 in the locating slots: 44 and hence absorb most of the resultant contact wear when the carriage 32 and die blocks 36 \are moved forwardly (FIG. 5) and backwardly by a carriage-reciprocating mechanism.

Carriage-Reciprocating Mechanism This carriage-reciprocating mechanism comprises a vertical cam 52 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) supported for vertical reciprocating movement by an arm 54 carried by an operating plunger 56 of an operating mechanism (utilized to actuate both the carriage-reciprocating mechanism and the bending and setting devices of the present invention, as hereinafter explained in detail). In order to hold a roller 58 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) mounted on the carriage 32 in spring-biased engagement with the vertical cam 52, a compression spring 60 is contained within a suitable hole in a spring retainer 62 (mounted on the left-hand portion of the mounting bracket 28, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 4) and such spring surrounds an aligning pin 64 projecting from a suitable plate aflixed to the lower left-hand end of the carriage 32.

As shown in FIG. 2, the aforesaid operating plunger 56 is connected by a link 66 to a cam lever (not shown) held in spring-biased engagement in the usual manner with an operating cam (not shown) which may be on the main cam shaft of the mount-making machine. Such operating plunger 56 is vertically reciprocable in a suitable bushing 68 provided in the mounting bracket 28 by the abovementioned operating mechanism. To prevent lateral movement of the operating plunger 56 during its reciprocation by the operating mechanism, the arm 54 rides on a suitable guide 70 mounted between left-hand flange portions of the mounting bracket 28, as viewed in FIG. 2.

At a predetermined time after the stem 14 has indexed into the lead-wire bending and setting station, and the lead wires 16 have been preliminarily aligned by the stationary guides 38 in registry with the locating slots 44 and the guide slots 50, the operating cam. (not shown) on the aforesaid main cam shaft of the mount-making machine causes the operating plunger 56 and the vertical cam 52 to move upwardly a distance a (FIGS. 2 and 4) from the solid-line position shown in FIG. 2 to the solid-line position shown in FIG. 4, thereby causing the roller 58 and the carriage 32 to move to the left (as viewed in such figures) 'a distance a with attendant positioning of the locating slots 44 and the guide slots 50 about the leadwire strippers 46 and the lead wires 16 preparatory for the bending and setting operation by the bending and setting devices of the present invention.

Bending and Setting Devices Since the bending and setting devices of the present invention are identical in structure and operation but bend the two lead wires in opposite direction, it is deemed suflicient to describe such devices with respect to the lefthand bending and setting device, as viewed in FIG. 1, and shown in detail in FIGS. 6 and 8 through 12.

In addition to the anvil 45 the bending and setting device has a movable member, such as a bending and setting die 72, for bending the lead wire 16 against the anvil 45 and setting such bend and a movable gripping jaw 74 movable with the bending and setting die 72 to secure the lead wire 16 (positioned in the locating slot 44) against the anvil 45 before the bending and setting die 72 engages the lead wire. To permit this movement of the bending and setting die 72 and the gripping jaw 74 within the die block 36, such gripping jaw 74 is carried by the bending and setting die 72, and both are reciprocable in a suitable longitudinal slot 77 (FIGS. 8 and 9) in the front sidewall of the die block 36 and are slidably retained therein by a retainer plate 78 affixed to such die block 36. So that the gripping jaw 74 and the bending and setting die 72 may move together until the gripping jaw 74 engages the lead wire 16 and thereafter the bending and setting die 72 may continue its movement with respect to the gripping jaw 74 to perform the bending and setting operation on the lead wire, the bending and setting die 72 is provided with an upstanding pin 80 movable in a slot 81 in the gripping jaw 74. The left-hand shoulder of such slot 81 (as viewed in FIGS. 8 and 9) is springbiased into engagement with such pin 80 by a spring 82 secured within suitable apertures in the left-hand end wall of the gripping jaw 74 and in a spring retaining bracket 84' lat-fixed to the left-hand end of the die block 36.

The means utilized to cause the above-mentioned movement of the bending and setting die 72 and the gripping jaw 74 has a vertical cam track 84 (FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5) mounted on a cam support 86 which in turn is affixed to a plunger 88 reciprocable in the carriage 32. This plunger 88 is biased by a spring 96 to the down position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Such cam track 84 has its side-wall cam surfaces in engagement with rollers 90 projecting from the bending and setting die 72.

It will be seen from a consideration of FIGS. 2 and 4 that when the operating plunger 56 has been moved up wardly the distance a (from the solid-line position of FIG. 2 to the solid-line position of FIG. 4) to cause the forward movement of the carriage 32 and the positioning of the locating slot 44 about the stripper 46 and the lead wire 16, a pad 92 on the upper end of the operating plunger 56 is moved into engagement with the bottom of the plunger 88. The continuous upward movement of the operating plunger 56 causes the plunger 88 to move upwardly a distance b, as viewed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, against the action of the spring 96 thereby causing similar upward movement of the cam support 86 and the cam track 84 carried thereby.

This upward movement of the cam track 84 causes the rollers 90, the bending and setting die 72 and the gripping jaw 74 of the left-hand bending and setting device, as viewed in FIGS. l1 and 5, to move horizontally to the right from the position shown in FIG. 8. During such movement the gripping jaw 74 and the bending and setting die 72 move from the position shown in FIG. 8 to the position shown in FIG. 9, where the gripping jaw 74 engages the lead wire 16 and secures such lead wire against the anvil '45. Thereafter, as indicated above, the bending and setting die 72 moves to the right, as viewed in FIG. 9, with respect to the now stationary gripping jaw 74 until, as shown in FIG. 10, the leading edge of a bending surface 94 on the upper face of a frusto-Wedgelike forward portion of the bending and setting die 72 engages the lead wire 16 at a point A, the point of application of the bending force. To provide satisfactory operation of the bending and setting die 72, the bending surface 94 is desirably inclined at an angle ,8 (FIG. 11), suitably about 15. To reduce maintenance costs the bending and setting die 72 is provided with a bending surface 94 at each end and when one such surface 94 wears, the die is merely reversed in the slot 77 and the bending and setting operation continued.

This point A is disposed a distance a (FIG. 10) from point B, the point of protrusion of the lead wire 16 from the anvil 45, thereby providing initially a relatively large bending radius (namely the distance d) and preventing the shearing of the lead wire 16 during the bending thereof. Thereafter, the bending and setting die 72 moves along the portion of the lead wire 16 which is being bent to incrementally decrease such distance between the point of protrusion (point B) and the point of application of the bending force (point A) with attendant bending of such portion against the anvil 45 until such distance approaches the thickness (i.e. the diameter), of the lead wire 16-, as seen in FIG. 1 1. At this stage of the bending and setting operation as shown in FIG. 11, the bend in the lead wire 16 has been substantially formed and the free end of such bent portion is lying on the bending surface 94. Continued movement of the bending and setting die 72 to the right, as viewed in FIGS. 11 and i12, a distance d (from the position shown in FIG. 11, to the position shown in FIG. 12) causes the bending and set ting die to squeeze the bend in the lead wire 16 against the anvil 45 to cause flattening of the bend at the points indicated by the solid arrows in FIG. 13 and deformation of such bend in the direction indicated by the dotted arrows in FIG. 13 thus upsetting the metal in the bend to give the wire a permanent set, in the position indicated in FIG. 12 This setting of the bend in the lead wire 16 is accomplished by providing (by pressure) a stress in the bend, which stress exceeds the yield point of metal in such lead wire, thereby permanently setting the bend.

Thereafter downward retraction of the operating plunger 56 the distance b (by operation of the above-mentioned operating cam not shown) causes similar retraction of the plunger 88' (under influence of the spring 96 thereabout) and of the cam track 84 with resultant horizontal retraction to the left of the left-hand bending and setting device, as Iviewed in FIGS. 1 and 5, from the position shown in FIG. L2 to the initial position shown in the previously mentioned figures. The continued downward movement of such operating plunger 56 the distance a from the solid-line position shown in FIG. 4, to the solidline position shown in FIG. 2, causes horizontal retraction of the carriage 32 and the bending and setting devices carried thereby away from the now bent lead wires 16 to permit the indexing of the head 12 out of the leadwire bending and setting station. Although the operation of the device as above described has been restricted to the movement of the parts in response to the movement of the left-hand cam track 84, it will be understood that precisely the same operation simultaneously occurs but in an opposite direction in response to the reciprocal movement of the right-hand cam track 84.

Thereafter the head 12 and the now bent stem 14 carried thereby are indexed to subsequent work stations where in the usual manner the lead wires 16 are crirnped; the filament 26 is positioned in the books 24 of the nowbent lead wires 16 and clamped therein; and the support wires 22 are curled about the filament 26 and the lead wires 16 to form the finished lamp mount, shown in FIG. 15.

From a consideration of FIGS. 7 and 14, it will become apparent that, as an alternative embodiment, a bending and set-ting die 72a may be utilized, which die 72a has the frusto-wedge-like forward portion thereof replaced by a longitudinally disposed pyramidal-shaped bending slot 98 having outwardly diverging sidewalls and a downwardly inclined bottom inclined at the angle ,8 (about 15) from the upper face of the die 72a. This slot 98 more positively holds the bent portion of the lead wire 16 in a plane defined by the portions of such lead wires which depend from the press of the stem 14.

During use of the bending and setting die 72a in the above-described setting operation, the lead wire 16 is slightly flattened by the application of radial forces at the points indicated by the solid line arrows of FIG. 14 to produce deformation of such bend in the direction of the dotted arrows shown in such figure.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by the provision of an improved method and apparatus for bending and setting elongated articles, such as wire and strip. The apparatus of the present invention is adapted to bend a wide range of sizes of such elongated articles and will not shear the flatter during the bending thereof. In addition, such apparatus performs both the bending and setting operation on such elongated articles.

While in accordance with the patent statutes one best known embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detaiLit is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

This is a division of Serial No. 754,490; filed August 11, 1958, now abandoned We claim:

1. The methodof forming a permanent bend in a 1irnited portion of an elongaed electrical lead-in and filament suppont wire for an incandescent lamp without subjecting the wire to excessive shearing stresses, which method comprises, initially bending a portion of said lead-in wire through a relatively large radius by applying a bending force between selected points on said lead-in wire which are relatively distant from one another, further bending said lead-in wire while incrementally decreasing the distance between the points on said lead-in wire through which the bending force is applied, continuing to bend said lead-in wire while continuing to incrementally decrease the distance between the points on said lead-in wire through which thebending force is applied until the bending force is applied between points on said lead-in wire which are sepanated by a distance approaching the thickness of said lead-in wire, and thereafter squeezing said lead-in wire at the bent portion to complete the bend and also to upset the metal at the bend to set the bend against any springback.

2. The method as specified in claim 1,. wherein said lead-in wire before bending is initially gripped to secure same in predetermined position.

References Cited in theiileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. THE METHOD OF FORMING A PERMANENT BEND IN A LIMITED PORTION OF AN ELONGATED ELECTRICAL LEAD-IN AND FILAMENT SUPPORT WIRE FOR AN INCANDESCENT LAMP WITHOUT SUBJECTING THE WIRE TO EXCESSIVE SHEARING STRESSES, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES, INITIALLY BENDING A PORTION OF SAID LEAD-IN WIRE THROUGH A RELATIVELY LARGE RADIUS BY APPLYING A BENDING FORCE BETWEEN SELECTED POINTS ON SAID LEAD-IN WIRE WHICH ARE RELATIVELY DISTANT FROM ONE ANOTHER, FURTHER BENDING SAID LEAD-IN WIRE WHILE INCREMENTALLY DECREASING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE POINTS ON SAID LEAD-IN WIRE THROUGH WHICH THE BENDING FORCE IS APPLIED, CONTINUING TO BEND SAID LEAD-IN WIRE WHILE CONTINUING TO INCREMENTALLY DECREASE 